Drywallers Sue Sheriff and County Over Arrests : Courts: The lawsuit alleges mental and emotional distress as a result of ‘unlawful’ detentions of construction strikers in July, 1992.

More than 100 drywall workers have sued Orange County and Sheriff Brad Gates, alleging that their civil rights were violated when they were arrested during a demonstration at a Mission Viejo construction site last summer.

The suit, filed Tuesday in Orange County Superior Court, claims that the drywallers suffered mental and emotional distress as a result of “illegal arrests and detentions” during a strike demonstration July 2, 1992. The mass arrests were the most in recent Orange County history.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested the striking drywallers for allegedly running onto a construction site and intimidating strikebreakers amid a bitter strike for union recognition and higher wages.

Originally, 149 workers were charged with felony trespassing and conspiracy to kidnap, and were held in jail on $50,000 bail each. A couple of weeks later, however, the charges had been reduced or dropped altogether, and most of the men were released.

“The false and baseless criminal charges against plaintiffs were made for unlawful purposes in an effort to intimidate (the striking workers), detain them on high bails, or otherwise penalize (them) for their constitutionally protected activities aimed at forming a union,” according to the suit, which lists 105 plaintiffs.

The suit further alleges that some workers were physically abused by the deputies. Some were “unreasonably deprived of food” and others had property, such as wallets, money and jewelry, seized from them at the time of arrest and not returned, the suit says.

The suit alleges that the arrests of the workers and high bails set after their arrests were “influenced” by developers who made financial contributions to the sheriff.

The drywallers--who install large sheets of gypsum that form the inner walls of buildings--went on strike in June, 1992, after employers slashed their wages. On the day they were arrested, the workers had broken down a fence and rushed a construction site, authorities said. They allegedly smashed drywall and dragged away six replacement workers, who were later released unharmed.

Incidences of minor violence were fairly common on both sides during the five-month strike, which ended when drywall subcontractors agreed to recognize the union. The strike was considered the largest organizing drive in the nation last year. Many of the strikers were illegal immigrants from Mexico.

As a result of their arrests, dozens of drywall workers were deported.

Sheriff Gates could not be reached for comment late Wednesday night.

Attorneys from the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, who represent the drywallers, were also unavailable for comment.

Most of the allegations in the 14-page suit were made in an administrative complaint to county officials last December. The county rejected that claim and its demand for $7.6 million in damages in February.